1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to speakers, and more particularly to a speaker within a speaker enclosure which is suspended overhead and adjustable.
2. Description of Related Art
The following art defines the present state of this field:
Edwards, U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,109 describes a loudspeaker harness for supporting a generally rectangular sectioned loudspeaker having at least four vertical walls and two horizontal walls intersecting at edges to form eight corners. The harness has a pair of longitudinal links passing under bottom wall of housing and extending upwardly adjacent opposed vertical walls, with at least one link cooperating with a support to hang loudspeaker therefrom.
McInnis, U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,669 describes a hanger for suspending sound speakers from a standard ceiling whereby adjustment can be made of the speaker position for best sound dispersal.
Charm, U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,714 describes a stable and highly directable hanging device mounting system for devices such as speaker enclosures that provides 360.degree. of rotation in conjunction with an attitude that is adjustable through 120.degree. or more. The mounting system includes a support plate having three support plate receptacles disposed thereon in a non-collinear relationship. Three device receptacles are adapted to be secured to a device being mounted and distributed about the center of gravity thereof, and a cord threaded alternately through the support plate receptacles and device receptacles to form a plurality of loops supporting the device receptacles to form a plurality of loops supporting the device receptacles and hence the device in a stable hanging relationship relative to the support plate.
Martin, U.S. Pat. No. 4,660,728 describes an apparatus for flying a sound system in which a suspension frame can be winched to a desired height from a roof beam or gantry at a concert venue. The suspension frame has a pair of hanging chains, which are each attached to opposed sides of a loudspeaker cabinet by means of coupling devices. A first webbing loop passes through retaining loops on the rear surfaces of the cabinets and through retaining loops on the rear surfaces of the cabinets and through a tensioning device to ensure that three rear edges are kept in tight contact. A second webbing loop extends from a roof beam or gantry to a lowermost cabinet and includes a second tensioning device. Adjustment of the spacing of the coupling devices on the chaining, the tension applied by the second tensioning device and the position of the connection point on the gantry relative to the chains together contribute to enable various required configurations of the speakers in a flown
Fitts et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,993,676 describes an apparatus for mounting a television set or the like from an ordinary home ceiling that has spaced-apart joists such as two-by-fours placed on edge and a ceiling panel secured to the underside of the joints. The apparatus includes an L-shaped bracket and a hollow shaft connected to one of the legs of the bracket so as to form a U-shaped hook that is engagable in flush contact with a ceiling joist. The shaft extends downward through a hole in the ceiling adjacent to a joist and provides support for a cabinet connected to the shaft. A spacer element is preferably disposed between the cabinet and ceiling, and the cabinet is secured by a disc and nut adjacent to the ceiling and a nut engaging the bottom of the shaft below a support plate connected to the top of the cabinet. Electrical wires and coaxial cables as required are threaded upward through the hollow shaft and are made available for connection to power and signal sources.
The prior art teaches speaker enclosures which can be suspended from the ceiling and are somewhat capable of direction. However, the prior art does not teach a speaker enclosure which is as easily and safely directional as the present invention.
The prior art also does not teach a speaker enclosure providing direct mechanical connection of the speaker to the ceiling. Prior art speakers only fasten the speaker enclosure to the ceiling. Since the magnets of large speakers are very heavy, the speaker would be dangerous if it were to fall out of its housing. Separation of the speaker from its housing is always a possibility because the great vibrations induced by use of the speaker can easily shake any mechanical fastening devices such as screws loose. Since speakers are often positioned over crowds of people, extra safety precautions are highly desirable. Furthermore, a mechanical connection such as a chain could easily be clipped to the ceiling before installation of the speaker housing is attempted, thereby providing an extra safety precaution during installation.
Finally, the prior art does not provide for dust-free ventilation. By providing a breather hole on the underside of the speaker by the grille, air can enter the interior of the speaker enclosure without allowing dust to settle therein. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.